• Self-motivation - I want
  
  Here is the reason for your motivation and it has to be powerful enough to override all temptation and opposition. List half a dozen things you really like doing and then ask yourself if you would give it up to pursue your goal.
  
  If it isn't strong enough then your real goal is either something else, or it is one of the desirable things you wrote on your opposing list. For example, if you found that you would choose ice-cream over your goal, maybe you need to open an ice-cream shop, or become an ice-cream taster-reviewer and write articles and books about the types, locations and quality of different ice-cream. Maybe you need to write a recipe book devoted to ice-cream related recipes. Get the picture?
  
  Then check ice-cream against your list of things your love. Does it hold up? What about the strengths and weaknesses of having that as your goal? What if one day you decide to become fit and lean? Would you still want your ice-cream business?
  
  Once you've worked your way through trial and error, and the pros and cons, and you have your goal, you know what will get you up in the morning and keep you at it through thick and thin. Your motivator. 
  
  
• Self-discipline - I will
  
  Here is where you apply your muscle. You know what you want done, what is of primary importance to you. Now you must apply your muscle to moving in that direction. If this requires change on your part, you know, moving out of your comfort zone, dealing with your own resistance - you know two things. One - you still have to do it; and two - you can get help to move you beyond the initial self-sabotage period. For the practical and psychological mix that will take you through this process, consider some guided training: click here.
  
  This self-discipline process can take as little as 21 days to take you from struggling resister to your new success habit. At any point if you realize you are off track, just state that you want to be over there [name your goal or activity], and implement action to put you there. Done not waste time and energy berating yourself for the detour. Focus only on what you want, not anything else.
  
  There is a raft of techniques you can use to build your own self-discipline. They are explained in my ebook, Habitual Success: A Guide For Struggling Achievers. And one of those things is to continually focus and refocus yourself on your new direction. Having a weekly ezine or regular web feed to provide that can be the easiest way to set up that new habit. Without thinking new information, training, tools and techniques come into your email or web feed, updating and strengthening your skills and knowledge base. Keeping you where you want to be - with minimal effort. For other options available, use your favorite search engine to do a search for you.
  
  
• Pain and pleasure incentives - carrot and stick
  
  As you probably know, pain and pleasure are the two great motivators: to move away from, to move toward. Use this knowledge to your advantage. Know you are the boss, it is up to you to apply any carrot and stick needed, and they are always needed because that is how your brain works. But when you apply these incentives yourself, there is a sense of self-respect involved. Nothing is against your will.
  
  Brainstorm two lists of things: one to cause you pain, and one to bring you pleasure. Keep it simple, and keep it focused more on the pleasure side of the scale if you can. Pain needs to be applied judiciously. Your list can include things you do, say, or do without. Publicizing what you are doing helps. You incorporate external pressure, external expectations to your advantage. Reporting publicly is a valuable extension of that. A weekly email to advise of progress to someone who has agreed to be your reporting partner is a very powerful motivator. You are using the potential pain of reporting no progress, and the potential pleasure of reporting progress.
  
  Other simple rewards can be a wall-map where you stick or draw rewards for tasks completed. Making this colorful is additionally powerful, as color is something that helps engage more of the brain in whatever you are doing, i.e. building a pleasure response to the habit of working on your goal. 
  
  
• Daily and weekly focus
  
  Previously you've had your boss and your colleagues around you reminding you with their presence, their need for your part of the report, their scheduling of meetings where you will present your findings, et cetera, to keep you focused on your daily work activity and your weekly outcomes.
  
  You need to substitute those people with quick and easy techniques you can set up yourself. Scheduling and sticking to tasks in your planner is vital. Having a written goal for the day, which you display for yourself on your desk, is also vital. The same goes for your weekly focus. The daily goals are the steps taking you to the achievement of your weekly goal.
  
  If you are applying your self-discipline techniques and your rewards system to these daily and weekly goals, then you will come up against the issue of prioritization and reprioritization. If you are now focused on these daily and weekly goals, you are not going to be able to happily chat on the phone to whoever, or lose yourself in that draw that needs cleaning out, or reading those extra fifty emails that are clogging up your inbox. Renumber the things you have on your To Do list, putting your daily and weekly goals at the top - and don't do anything else unless they are done. For the secret to successfully prioritizing including the one secret that no-one will tell you, but will guarantee you focus on your top-level tasks, see Habitual Success: A Guide For Struggling Achievers.
  
  
• Finding your weak spot: the thing you deny needs to happen, or be done
  
  It might seem that this is the most difficult part of checking to see if you are prepared and able to become your own boss. But deep-down, you already know the answer to this one.
  
  To access that knowledge - what one thing do you need to do to move on, change, become boss, learn new things - you need to have a quick talk with yourself in a relaxed state where your more honest self can be heard. Here's how.
  
  
  • Sit somewhere quiet, where you won't be interrupted. Ensure you are comfortable and do not have to be thinking about holding yourself upright, or changing position because it's becoming uncomfortable.
    
    
  • Starting at you toes, think of each part of your body one at a time, in muscle groups - toes, calves, thighs, pelvis, stomach, chest, shoulders, back, arms, hands, neck, face, head - and relax them. If you have trouble ensuring a set of muscles is relaxed, first tense them then, by right of relativity, relax them. 
    
    
  • Ensure your mind is still. Let go of any emotions or thoughts swirling around. You can pick them up again later. Relax your lungs and breath freely, in through the mouth and out through a relaxed mouth and jaw.
    
    Now ask yourself these questions, one at a time, and wait for your answer. Keep your mind clear of those other thoughts and emotions and just wait for whatever your alpha, or deeper mind brings you.
    
    
    • What is the one thing that I need to do that is vital to me achieving my goal?
      
    • If I had no fear, what one thing could I do that would be an enormous boost to achieving my goal?
      
    • What critical thing am I holding back on, that I need to pursue my goal?
    
    
    
  • Usually your brain is quite clear on the answer whether you knew what it was going to say and just needed to be honest, or if it was a surprise. But sometimes the answer is a little unusual and you need to follow a less obvious clue. In this case, there is usually an association in finding the answer, like in charades: sounds like, is like, looks like, works like....
    
    
  • If you need to alter your questions or try at another time, do. Have faith in yourself to know what you need.  
  
  
  Now that you have all that sorted, identified, named and out in the open, implement. Schedule everything. Get it happening, and get yourself moving. Moving is the bottom line when it comes to change. Step, step step. Each one a bit further from the past and closer to your future. Create that future with each step. Sometimes it's easier to be courageous taking one step, than thinking about everything you have to do to reach the final goal. Keep it manageable and keep it moving.

 Here's to your habitual success.

Raven H
Publisher
Seismicfish.com

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